The Financial Survival Network is dedicated to helping you build your financial fortress so that you can survive and thrive in the new economy. It's all about what's next!

The elite rulers of our country can’t seem to get enough endless wars. They seem to thrive upon them. So many political and military leaders want Afghanistan to continue forever, with no end game or goal in site. Same with our involvement in Syria. But President Trump has had enough. He’s brining the troops back home and letting the chips fall where they may. No more nation building and endless quagmires. And Gerald sees more limitations coming for the Pentagon’s endless budget filled with corruption and waste. He sees the economy headed south because it just can’t take higher interest rates. And some thoughts on gold and silver. Perhaps they’re coming out of their enforced doldrums.

It’s no secret that the nation’s healthcare system is loaded with criminal behavior and government rip-offs. And hospitals are perhaps the biggest culprit. They routinely charge $100 for two aspirin and there are government sanctioned middlemen who take in billions and legally pay kickbacks to hospital employees. But there’s big change coming. As of January 1, 2019, hospitals will be required to publish their price lists and justify their prices. Dr. George believes this could be a major step in an otherwise unaccountable system.

According to Ned Schmidt gold was the best performing asset for 2018. Everything else was heading up until market realities asserted themselves. He believes that precious metals will become the logical choice for many newbies in the coming year. If that happens, who knows where the price could go. But this sector has become a dumping ground for broken hearts and broken dreams since 2011, so we'll believe it all when we see it. He's also got some pretty good info on ag commodities and stocks. After all, even if the world as we know it ends, people still have to eat.

It's no secret that gold has been rallying for the past couple of weeks, coming in just in time for Eric Hadik's Q4 rally. For a while it looked unlikely, but the yellow metal looks like it's heading back towards $1300 and silver has broken $15. Eric is looking forward to a very rocky year ahead for 2019 where traders in many different markets, from stocks to oil to ag, will do best. That means volatility and much back and forth. Are you ready to succeed in 2019?

It's been a long time coming, but at long last the stock markets are heading downward. What seemed like an impossibility just a few short months ago has now become a stark new reality. Danielle believes that it could keep on tumbling until it reverts to the mean. Pity all the poor individual investors who've been searching for a higher yield. They could be wiped out in the process. A lesson that needs to be learned yet again.

John and I have been warning you for years that the 2008-09 crash never really ended. While the stock market and asset prices went into a major bull market when the Fed started quantitative easing, this was never a pathway to long term success. We sacrificed major profits along the way. But the debt kept increasing at an increasing rate. Here we are at the end of 2018 and things appear to be coming apart at the seams. The DOW has gone down bigly and notwithstanding today's rally, will probably continue to do so. And if it manages to recover, so what, nothing has changed. The question is what to do next and John has some very strong ideas about that.

CONOR RICHARDSON, CPA, is the founder of MillennialMoneyMakeover.com, where he helps Millennials master essential money matters. Richardson began his career in New York City, working in finance and accounting and running his own businesses. Richardson's business experience ranges from working with early-stage startups to publicly traded companies. He has been featured in Fox Business, The Washington Post, and more. Richardson received his Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from the University of Georgia and earned a Master of Accounting and Professional Consultancy from Villanova University. He currently lives in Austin, Texas.

Tax expert Jeff Socha says make sure you get a head start on preparing your taxes this month. The new year is upon us. Make it a good one and spend the rest of this year preparing for tax time.

2018 was the first year under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the largest revamping of tax law in decades, which was passed last December. The new rules stressed out many Americans, some of whom did not know if it would benefit or harm them come Tax Day. (The new tax law kept the seven federal tax brackets, but lowered rates for six of them, for 2018 to 2025).

Without proper preparation, taxpayers might be in for a bad surprise. They could possibly owe more in taxes than they thought — unaware of that liability until the deadline — or they could miss potential ways to get a higher deduction and therefore, risk paying more than necessary.

See: How the new tax law affects every age — from babies to boomers

Here are five things you can do between now and Dec. 31 to prepare:

Calculate your tax liabilities

The new tax law increased many Americans’ paychecks, but that came with consequences. More than 30 million taxpayers could owe the government money next year, according to a Government Accountability Office report. More than one fifth of Americans (21%) could be “underwithheld,” meaning that their employers haven’t taken enough money out of their paychecks to cover their taxes.

It’s too late for Americans to make any meaningful changes to their paycheck withholding amounts for the coming Tax Day in April 2019, said Christina Taylor, senior manager of tax operations at Credit Karma. But there are two tasks they can do now to help themselves: estimate how much they’ll owe in taxes next year using the Internal Revenue Service’s W4 calculator, and adjust their allowances for the following year.

Workers choose how much money they want withheld from their paychecks to cover taxes — the lower the number of allowances, the more money that gets withheld (whereas the higher the number of allowances, the less money withheld, which means a larger paycheck but also a bigger potential tax bill).

By inputting a few factors, such as income, taxes already withheld and the number of allowances, the IRS calculator will estimate how much you owe in federal taxes. If the amount is a lot higher than you thought it would be, you could start putting aside money now to cover the taxes you’ll owe in April. Workers may want to adjust their allowances now so they can start fresh in 2019, and lessen their tax liabilities for the following year if they were underwithheld.

It's no secret that the Deep State has it in for Author and Commentator Dr. Jerome Corsi. But unlike most, he's fighting back. He's suing Special Counsel Inspector Robert Clouseau Mueller in court for his numerous treacherous misdeeds. Everyone is going to have to take a stand. No one is safe from the tentacles of the Deep State.

Todd Bubba Horwitz joined us for a discussion of the coming Fed Rate Hike and what we can expect. Shortly after the interview the Fed raised overnight rates by 25 basis points and we saw the long bond rate fall and the stock market suffer continued major losses. We also saw gold fall slightly and then rebound over $20 on Thursday. Is this anyway to run an economy? Central bankers are running out of options and that can only mean increased volatility and major economic disruptions ahead. But Bubba gives you several ways to process from this inevitable scenario.

As expected the Fed increased rates a quarter of a percent. They might be reconsidering future rate increases, subject to economic forecasts ahead. The economy is firing on all cylinders, at least for now. The question is whether the economy will keep expanding into the coming year and has for nearly 40 quarters. Clearly, we could be near the end of the cycle, but when will the party end? Higher rates are certainly having an impact, how bad will it be? Now it's wait and see.

Next we looked at oil. And Ed believes it could be headed lower. The three major producers are all producing at record levels. The OPEC supply cuts haven't seemed to have much affect. Shale has survived and production has only increased. Longer term it looks like more of the same.

Author and publisher John Truman Wolfe says get ready for more trouble in the banking sector. Derivatives will help lead the next disaster. And the big banks are by no means insulated. Citibank just reported a $180 loan loss to an Asian hedge fund. And this could just be the beginning. Unsound loans to weak borrowers is an ongoing pattern. Nothing ever really changes.

Our good friend The Gold and Oil Guy Chris joined us for a look at major markets. He says we'll know very shortly whether we're in a bear market. A couple more trading sessions should point the way. Gold is looking pretty good, but it's not going to be straight up for it like in the past. Volatility is the key. Oil is heading down perhaps as low as $40 per barrel. Natgas looks like it has peaked, but beware of rough weather ahead. Finally, he sees a light at the end of the Bitcoin tunnel. It could be bottoming out and getting ready for another advance.

Heather Wagenhals thinks this could be the merriest of Christmas for the online scammers. Their latest scheme is to redirect potential marks to sites that appear to be legitimate shopping sites. The unsuspecting victim believes they're placing an actual order, but in reality they're divulging their credit card info and personal information. It's a two-for-one scam. They going to get charged and the fraudster can then market their personal data. Nice work if you can get it.

And of course the usual charitable scams are taking place at light speed. Taking advantage of people's generosity, money gets sent to a fraudulent charity, leaving the donor with no recourse whatsoever. And these are just a few examples of the massive frauds taking place. Beware!

Egypt has decided to join the modern world. According to Mark Campbell, of our sponsor Aton Resources, mining reform is coming very soon to the country. For over 50 years, Egypt has been a socialist playground. Now the authorities have turned the corner and they're on the verge of passing highly favorable laws to help the mining industry grow and prosper. And that is great news for Aton Resources, who's Rodruin Project is on the cusp of something major. Check the company's site to see what's happening.

For the past few months Stock Markets have been hellish. But Nick Santiago isn't discouraged. While we've seen a fairly major correction, it's not necessarily proof that we're in a new bear market. Nick's optimistic that the China Trade War will be worked out. He's been bearish on oil for quite a while, and he called for lower prices. Now it's under $50 per barrel and he's thinking it could go lower still. Right now he's taking the contrarian view of the home builders and believes they'll be bouncing back. A lot of other surprising calls made by Nick and worth taking a look at.

Life can be a roll coaster. One moment you're on top of the world and the next you're down, for no particular reason. Especially these days, you just never know. According to Matt Bertram, the downs are a great opportunity for growth and that's exactly what he's done. He's been successful in a number of different industries and perhaps that's why he's become so skilled at bouncing back. And we certainly can from his experience. You should take a look at his recent Brand Mania Book.

Despite the recent stock market decline and other negative economic indicators, Gerald believes that the recent volatility will clear up and it will be full steam ahead. In addition, the House has been purged of 49 Never Trumpers which will be great for the 2020 election. Combine that with the fact that the wheels are coming off the Mueller Investigation and it could well be ending soon. Don't worry about Ocasio-Cortez and Beto. Much worry about nothing.

Now it's the hedge funds. They were prime beneficiaries of an re-inflationary Fed. Their access to a near endless source of virtually interest free funds has made their business model a near certain winner. Now with interest rates on the rise, hedge funds are closing up shop all over. And what about those interest rates? Looks like December will either be the last rate hike or perhaps it won't happen at all, which could be a windfall to precious metals and miners. We'll just have to see what's next.

It's no secret that Inspector Clouseau Meuller's probe has been misguided from the get go. Now it's becoming more obvious by the day. His latest refusal to turn over documents demanded by District Court Judge Emmett Sullivan is shocking. Prosecutors defy court orders at their own peril and Judge Sullivan is not one to be trifled with. Also have a listen James's Christmas Album. And while we're on the subject of Christmas, it's time to wish one and all A Merry, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

U.S. jobs and wages rose by less than forecast in November while the unemployment rate held at the lowest in almost five decades, indicating some moderation in a still-healthy labor market.

Nonfarm payrolls increased by 155,000 after a downwardly revised 237,000 gain in the prior month, a Labor Department report showed Friday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey called for an increase of 198,000. Average hourly earnings rose 0.2 percent from the prior month, compared with forecasts for 0.3 percent, though wages matched projections on an annual basis, up 3.1 percent for a second month.Treasury yields initially dipped and the dollar declined as the report added to signs that economic growth is cooling a bit, following weakness in business-equipment orders and an ebbing of consumer optimism. While the data may spur more concern over the outlook after stocks and bond yields tumbled this week, some investors may see the prospect of a slower pace of Federal Reserve interest-rate increases as a positive following an expected hike this month, as equity futures rose following the jobs data.

“It’s not like 155,000 is a terrible number, but it’s below what people were looking for,” said Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co. After an unusually strong two quarters for the economy, “we’re looking for growth to step down this quarter and you should probably also expect to see the labor market cool off some. It’s consistent with the economy coming off what people call a sugar rush.”For the Fed’s interest-rate hikes, “December is pretty close to a done deal,” Feroli said. “For next year, it depends what the data looks like the next couple of months. It doesn’t feel like things are softening in an alarming way. If it’s really soft, they’ll take a break.”The jobless rate was unchanged at 3.7 percent in November, matching estimates. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said late Thursday that the U.S. labor market is “very strong” by many measures and that the economy is “performing very well overall.”Even so, one key risk is the trade war between the U.S. and China, the world’s two largest economies. While the nations agreed last weekend on a 90-day pause for new tariffs, the accumulated levies and developments have created uncertainty for companies and may weigh on the employment outlook.

Retailers showed solid demand for workers overall, hiring 18,200 people in the month before Christmas; general-merchandise stores added the most employees while clothing and electronics stores cut workers. Transportation and warehousing, a category closely linked to retail, also saw gains of 25,400 in the month. Construction jobs rose by 5,000, the weakest since a decline in March, as gains cooled among residential specialty trade contractors. Manufacturing remained strong at an increase of 27,000.

The monthly gain in average hourly earnings for all private workers followed a downwardly revised 0.1 percent increase, the report showed. The annual increase topped 3 percent for a second month, reflecting how companies are steadily raising pay to attract and retain workers as the availability of workers tightens.

No one in government seems to care about the country's burgeoning debt. Not the President, not Congress or anyone in the Swamp. How much longer can the party go on? Al Caceido is very concerned and believes that we will soon reach the tipping point. What will happen then is anyone's guess, but it's not going to be pleasant and a lot of promises will be broken.

Adam is feeling reassured by the recent market downturn. While the overall averages are flashing correction, many tech stocks are flashing bear market! His advice is buy the stocks, if you must, that showed strength during the downturn, not those showing weakness. In addition, he is very bullish on the Cannabis sector since Altria's (f/k/a Phillip Morris) major investment. Adam believes it's going to keep bloom into a leading sector. Otherwise caution is the byword.

Sound business and ethics used to go hand-in-hand. Now they're distant cousins under the best of circumstances. Have we gone too far down the rabbit hole to ever return? Or perhaps it's just part of a cycle. Speaking of cycles, we discuss electric vehicles and why they're making so little progress in the global auto marketplace. Are the current crop of EV's that are about to be released, designed to fail? Perhaps, but the future seems clear, some day EV's will dominate.

Dr. John Lott, National Columnist and Top Selling Author, elaborates on Gun-Free Zones and gives his opinion on why they invite mass shootings. Gun-free zones are intended to reduce violent crime and mass shootings in specific locations. Did anyone ask the gunman if this is the case?

Dr. John Lott explains most gunmen are smart enough to know that they can kill more people if they attack places where victims can’t defend themselves. That’s one reason why 98 percent of mass public shootings since 1950 have occurred in places where citizens are banned from having guns. Why aren’t more outlets catching on?